Beautiful Strength
by bibliophilebasics
Summary: "Strength is nothing without beauty." He was strength, she was beauty. Karina has been Yuri's best friend since she was five. They've done everything since-school, homework, even practiced skated together. However, when Victor becomes Yuri's coach after Yuuri retires, he always expects the unexpected... (contains spoilers for season 1)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: Ballet

Yuri: 6 Karina: 5

"Alright, Yuri. Remember, I'll be here for you right after class ends," Yuri's grandfather ruffled Yuri's ear-length blond hair, before patting him on the back to gently lead him towards the entrance to the ballet studio.

"Thanks, Grandpa," Yuri looked up at his grandfather adoringly before hesitantly entering into the ballet studio.

"Hi there, you must be Yuri!" an overenthusiastic ballet teacher rushed to Yuri's side. "My name is Vera, and I'm your ballet teacher!" Yuri almost rolled his eyes at how bubbly she was.

He allowed himself to be dragged to the barre, where he was surrounded by all girls, no surprise. Sighing in resignation, he pulled his ballet slippers on, and attempted to mimic what the girls in front of him were doing with their arms and legs. It was much more intricate than his usual ice skating warmup, and he struggled with keeping his balance.

"Now class, we have a new student," Vera clapped her hands and jumped up and down. "Would you mind telling us a little about yourself sweetie?" She looked directly at Yuri.

"Uh, well, I'm a figure skater, and I'm going to go to the Olympics some day!" Yuri thrust his chest out proudly, though he heard a couple of the girls snicker. He always hated this part of introducing himself, because he never knew what to say other than that he was a figure skater. "And, uh...I'm taking ballet to help me with my technique."

"Thank you Yuri! Class, I hope that you'll be very kind to him. You're learning as much as he is!" Vera moved back to the middle of the room to begin instruction.

* * *

After a grueling hour of warmups and moves that Yuri couldn't even pronounce, he was finally done. Covered in sweat, he ripped his ballet slippers off, stuffing them into his bag as he guzzled some water. He paid no heed to the girls sitting in a group as they daintily removed their slippers and took small sips of water, all the while gossiping about the new student.

Yuri gathered up his duffel bag and exited the room, ignoring the girls that trailed after him, laughing and pointing. He dropped his bag to the floor at the entrance to the studio, and sank to the ground as he waited for his grandfather to pick him up, oblivious to the young girl from his class elegantly perched on a chair, attentively waiting for her mother.

The girls that had followed him now grouped around him, blocking his view of the glass door. "You think you're so high and mighty, wanting to go to the Olympics, huh?" one of the girls questioned.

"Yeah, as if some scrawny Russian like you would ever amount to anything," another girl scoffed.

"Ballerinas are so much more than 'technique'. We're just as good as you haughty ice skaters!" one girl, Klara, Yuri remembered, insisted.

Suddenly, the young girl that Yuri had not noticed spoke up from her chair. "He never said anything about disliking ballerinas. Stop being rude, Zoya," she spoke to the instigator.

"Hey! I don't need you to fight my battles you prima!" Yuri spat at the girl, but she only rolled her eyes. "You're all scum anyways," he directed his attention to the other girls. "Say all those nasty comments to my gold medal." With that, he stomped out of the door, willing to wait in the cold if he was away from them.

The one defender bursted out of the door. "What was that stunt?" she questioned. "All I was trying to do was help. You could've been nicer about it."

"I don't need your help..." Yuri retorted.

"Karina," the girl supplied, rolling her eyes again. "And sure you don't need my help, because you were handling that really well."

Yuri broke a little. "Fine. You have a point."

Karina grinned. "Ha! I gotcha!" she jumped up and down in glee. "Now you have a friend in the class!"

"What? You're not my friend!" Yuri sputtered in indignation.

"Would you be my friend if I got you ice cream? My mom always lets me get ice cream afterwards, and she wants me to bring a friend."

Yuri had to reconsider. He did like free ice cream, but at what cost would it be for? Karina had stood up for him, however, and he finally broke down. "Fine," he grumbled.

"Yay!" Karina clapped her hands in excitement, and Yuri groaned in frustration. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

Licking her chocolate flavored ice cream, Karina joined her mother, along with Yuri and his grandfather. She had overheard her mother and Yuri's grandfather talking about how Karina's father had left a year after she was born, and how Yuri's parents had abandoned Yuri to his grandfather. They seemed to be getting along well enough.

Sitting next to Yuri at the table, she noticed that he had already finished his mint chocolate chip cone, and she frowned. "How did you eat your ice cream so fast?" she asked, trying to take a bite of her ice cream, and recoiling when her front teeth gave her a brain freeze.

"I practiced," Yuri responded dryly.

"You know who you remind me of?" Karina jumped up and down in her seat. "The band called 'The O's'! Their names each end with O, and one of them is called Yurio! That's a great name!"

"Never heard of them," Yuri mumbled, putting his arms on the small table.

"In fact, I'll call you Yurio!" Karina decided, and Yuri grumbled even more, complete with eye rolling.

"That's not my name," he insisted.

"Okay, Yurio," Karina responded, beaming with pride.

"Ugh, primas," Yuri placed his head in his arms on the table.

"Looks like you'll be stuck with me for longer than you thought!" Karina smiled, seeing her mother and Yuri's grandfather exchange slips of paper with their phone numbers scribbled on in pencil.

Yuri threw his hands up in the air. "Are you kidding me?"

Karina nudged him. "Admit it, you actually like me being your friend," she teased.

Yuri shook his head. "In your dreams."

* * *

Yuri had to admit, however, that having a friend in the ballet class was nice. Maybe being friends with a stuck-up prima wasn't so bad after all. He even asked Karina to help him with some of the more complicated moves he couldn't quite perfect. Besides, being friends with her meant ice cream every week. Who could turn that offer down?

At least, that was Yuri's excuse for looking forward to ballet each week.

* * *

 **A/N: I decided to upload this story this week in honor of the last episode of Yuri! on ice since I love that show to death. Yurio was always my favorite character, and I really wanted to write this story of friendship and all that good stuff. Anyways, I hope that you really like the story, and please make sure to comment/ask questions if you did!**

 **Hugs and kisses,**

 **bibliophilebasics**


	2. Chapter 2: Kit-Kat

**A/N: Review Responses:**

 **Guests (1 & 2): Aww thank you! I'm so glad that you all liked it!**

 **SnowyLife12, StylusPen, Alexa Wayne, and Naliyu: Awww, I'm really happy that you all liked it so much!**

 **Riladell: That's crazy that we had the same idea! As they say "great minds think alike" (in my humble opinion at least). I was never the biggest fan of the name Yurio either, because I felt like it was a way to undermine his character since he's only fifteen or make him second best compared to Yuri K., but I saw on the Wiki that it was originally given to him from his sister. I really liked that idea, and it fixed the problems that I had with the nickname, so I thought I would use that idea, and have it come up later in the story :). Ugh, I also hate the idea of him being secretly in love with Yuri K., though I do like the idea of him appreciating Yuri K.'s style of skating. Also, thank you for the Russian form of Yuri P.'s name! I've seen it used on tumblr, but having it confirmed is nice to know :). I'm so happy that you liked it, and I'm really excited to keep writing the story! Also, sorry this is such a long response!**

 **Rosebud on Royal Icing: omg I love your username! I know I sound repetitive, but I'm so happy that you like the story. I'm so glad that the characters were in character, because that's something that I really try to make a priority, and I just love how sassy Yuri P.'s character is!**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Yuri! on Ice, McDonalds, Hershey's or Subway. If I did, I'd be sharing the plot for Season Two and have Stephane Lambiel and Deniss Vasiljevs be season regulars.**

* * *

Chapter Two: Kit-Kats

Yuri: 8 Karina: 7

* * *

"This is amazing!" Karina jumped up and down in the middle of Times Square. "I've never seen so many screens and stores in my life!"

"That's the States for you," Yuri muttered.

"Oh, shush, Yuri. There's no reason to be hating on the States. Besides, _you're_ the one who wanted to compete here," Karina reminded him.

"Well, _you're_ the one who wanted to look at the New York City Ballet Company," Yuri retorted.

"Yeah, well-"

"Yuri, Karina," Karina's mother, Larisa, chastised them. "You're creating a scene."

"Yes, Mother," Karina replied, looking at the ground, scuffing her nice flats on the pavement.

"We're not creating a scene any more than the guy playing the trumpet over there," Yuri said under his breath, only loud enough for Karina to hear. She giggled until she saw her mother's stern look, and quickly closed her mouth in a firm line, though her eyes still glistened as if she could burst out laughing at any second.

"Now, now, Larisa, let them be children. After all, they're only seven and eight," Nikoli calmly reminded Larisa.

Larisa huffed, but conceded regretfully. "I suppose so. However, that does not excuse them from remaining respectful. We are representing Russia!" she raised her voice slightly in pride for her country.

"I know. How about we take them to a candy store?" Nikoli tried to maintain reasonable as Larina attempted to keep ahold of the two young children.

"Candy is not healthy for them. It will make them fat and having them bounce off the walls," Larina frowned.

Nikoli restrained himself from yelling at the young mother. Why was she so strict with Karina? Every child deserved to have candy once and awhile. Shaking his head, he was firm with her this time. "Every child should see the famous Hershey's chocolate store here. I will take the children, whether you are coming or not."

Larina huffed. "Fine, I'll come. But don't expect me to allow Karina to have any candy."

"Of course not," Nikoli said sympathetically, though he planned to sneak some to her anyway.

* * *

"Wow, look at the size of this place!" Karina exclaimed in the entrance to the Hershey's store. "There are two whole floors!"

"Full of candy," Yuri said in amazement. Even he was a sucker for candy, and loved everything sour he could get his hands on-especially Warheads.

Karina tugged on his arm. "Let's go to the second floor! That's where they have the samples!"

"Don't be trying any of them. They will make you like Americans, fat and lazy," Larina called after Karina.

"Yes, Mother," Karina said obediently, but she was already racing up the stairs with Yuri on her heels.

When they reached the second floor, Karina had no idea where to start. She could either try some of the traditional Hershey's chocolate, or she could have some of the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The possibilities were endless, and Karina wanted to try a little bit of everything, despite her mother's warnings.

Yuri made the decision for her, pulling her over to the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups table, and he immediately popped one in his mouth. His face lit up, and he grabbed another, stuffing it in his jacket for later. "Those are amazing! Here, have one!" Picking one up, he thrust it at Karina. Hesitantly, she placed it in her mouth, chewing tentatively. Immediately, she spit it back out. "Blech, I hate peanut butter! How can Americans stomach that stuff?"

Yuri laughed at his friend's reaction. "Well, I ate it, so I guess they eat it because it's good?"

Karina shook her head in a definite no. "Ugh, let's try some _real_ chocolate." Yuri nodded in agreement, and they walked over to the Hershey's Chocolate Kisses table, staring at the tin foil that masked the chocolate.

"I've never seen packaging like this on chocolate before," Yuri carefully tore through the wrapper. He stuck the whole thing in his mouth, chewing. Swallowing, he tilted his head to think about the taste. "It's pretty good, but it tastes a lot like cocoa."

Karina hesitantly picked one up. "You better not be joking about this one, or else I'll...punch you!" she threatened, though Yuri only laughed at her empty threat.

"I'd like to see you try," he urgently prompted her to try the unusually shaped chocolate treat.

Karina placed it in her mouth, chewing slowly in case she didn't like it. "Hmm, it's not that bad," she concluded, and smiled at Yuri. "Knew I could count on you!"

"Yuri, Karina!" Larina shouted up at the pair. "We need to leave soon for Yuri's day of warmups before his competition!"

"Okay, Mother, we're almost done!" Karina yelled back. She pulled Yuri over to the Kit-Kat table. "One last treat?" she asked, looking hopefully at Yuri.

"You bet," Yuri replied, breaking the Kit-Kat in two, and handing her half. "On one, two, three!" They both bit into the Kit-Kat, and their eyes lit up.

"There's a wafer in here!" Karina exclaimed. Yuri couldn't help but laugh happily at his friend's reaction, and they each finished their half quickly, savoring the chocolatey wafer taste that lingered in their mouths.

"Hey, your name kind of sounds like Kit-Kat, Karina," Yuri pointed out.

"Does it, Yurio?" Karina teased, knowing that Yuri hated the nickname, and Yuri batted her arm in annoyance.

"Okay, deal- if I get to call you Kit-Kat, then you can call me Yurio whenever we please," Yurio extended his hand for a pinky promise.

"You're an excellent negotiator, Yurio," Karina wrapped her pinky finger around his, sealing their agreement.

"I learned from...well, me," Yuri smiled at Karina as she laughed at his joke. "Now, let's go win this competition!"

"Don't have to negotiate with me to agree on that one," Karina bounced down the steps to reunite with her mother and Yuri's grandfather.

* * *

"Are you nervous?" Karina looked up at Yuri as they boarded the subway on their way to the competition arena. Yuri had barely said a word all morning, and Karina could sense that something wasn't right.

"Of course not," Yuri huffed, sitting down on one of the vacant seats, as it was only four in the morning.

Karina scooted close to him. "Well, there's something wrong, and if it's not nerves, then what is it?"

Yuri looked down, not wanting to allow Karina into his troubled thought process. However, he knew that, in the end, Karina would coerce the truth out of him. She always did. Sighing, he explained. "If I don't win, then I could lose my chance of going to St. Petersburg and training there with Victor."

Karina nodded in understanding. Victor Nikiforov was Russia's crown jewel in their skating program, and he had been dominating all of his junior performances at an extremely young age. Yuri had looked up to him, not as an idol, but as a competitor, and Karina knew that he had dreamed of one day competing against him-or better yet, Victor would be his coach. In order to do that, Yuri needed to show that he was capable of winning a competition anywhere-even America.

The stress was enormous, to say the least. And Yuri was a perfectionist. Even in his best programs, he would nitpick at what he did wrong. Karina was the same way with her ballet. That was why they excelled so quickly-but it also caused a great amount of time worrying about how they could improve on already perfect skills.

"Yuri, don't think like that. You're the best figure skater I know, and if you performed like you did in yesterday's practice, then you'll win for sure!" Karina attempted to boost Yuri's mood.

"I'm the only figure skater you know," Yuri responded dryly.

"Doesn't mean you're not the best," Karina said simply, believing every word.

Yuri nodded. "I hope so." It was a rare moment of Yuri not being entirely cocky and overconfident, an emotion only his grandfather and Karina had seen.

"I know so," Karina replied. "You're going to win, and you're going to go to St. Petersburg."

"How do you know that?" Yuri looked up at her, and his eyes glittered in the harsh light of the subway with what looked like tears.

Karina simply shrugged. "Because people believe in you. Your grandfather, me, and everyone in Russia. We want to see you succeed."

The subway screeched to a halt at their designated drop off, and Larina and Nikolai herded the pair out the door, Yuri as speechless as before, though for an entirely different reason now.

* * *

"Davai, Yuri!" Karina cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted at her friend as he stepped onto the ice. She was certain he'd heard her, since she stood on the edge of the rink, where his coach was, along with Nikolai and her mother. Yuri, in return to her encouragement, gave her a quick thumbs up as he passed the area closest to her.

"Karina, shush! You're distracting Yuri." Her mother chided her, throwing her arm in exasperation towards Yuri's thumbs up directed at Karina.

"Sorry, Mother, I just wanted to cheer him on." Karina looked down at her feet, as she always did when her mother called her out on her mistakes.

"I know, honey. Sometimes the best encouragement is to be silent, okay?" Her mother hoisted her up onto a bench so that Karina could see the ice rink better, since her short stature meant she could only see over the top of the division of the ground and the ice.

"Understood," Karina peered over the wall, attempting to get a better view of Yuri as his performance began. Since he was so young, they didn't have the competition set up in the traditional order of short program and free skate. Instead, Yuri only was only judged upon a short program.

Karina could tell that Yuri's coach was nervous. It would be the first time that Yuri attempted a double in competition, and it would be a potential risk for an injury for the young boy if he fell, possibly preventing him from skating for six to nine months. This was the time for Yuri's skills to be developing, not for risks, but Yuri had always been a risk taker despite his parents and coach's efforts.

"Wow," Karina's jaw dropped as Yuri approached the middle of his program, looking at the intricate footwork that was required. Yuri had always been better at the jumping and spinning components, but with ballet classes and Karina's assistance, he had become decidedly better at managing the performance aspects of the program.

Karina couldn't take her eyes off him as he twirled into his double. Karina sucked in a breath of anticipation, and when he landed perfectly, arms extended, she let out a sigh of relief, clapping her hands along with the rest of the crowd.

The rest of Yuri's program went by in a flash of spins and footwork, and when Yuri stopped skating, she could see that he was exhausted, gasping for breath as he skated off after taking a bow.

As soon as Yuri's skates hit solid ground, Karina rushed over, giving him a massive hug. Yuri was not a fan of physical contact, but he wrapped his arms tentatively around Karina for her sake, as excited as she was that his program went well.

"Yuri, that was amazing! You spun so fast I could barely see you, and your double was fantastic!" Karina gushed as they headed over to the kiss and cry.

Yuri smiled at Karina. "Yeah, but my double lacked some of the height that I've had in practice, and I could improve on some of my footwork."

Karina crossed her arms. "There will be no beating yourself up until tomorrow, okay? You did an amazing job and deserve to be happy with your performance for even just a day! Ooh, they're giving the announcer the scores!"

"Who knew you could be so bossy?" Yuri grumbled as he waved to the crowd as he received his score and was placed as number one, as well as a personal best for him, though that was to be expected with the addition of a double.

"See, Yuri, you're way ahead of the other skaters!" Karina pointed at the scoreboard for emphasis.

She was right about that, at least, Yuri thought later on as a gold medal was placed around his neck on the podium, and he gave a big show smile for his grandfather and Karina as they looked as if they might cry from happiness. That only meant he had to compete at a higher level, take more risks. It was the only way he could achieve his goal.

* * *

"Where to next?" Nikolai asked after Yuri had changed, and the group was now on the streets of New York City.

"The New York City Ballet! We have an appointment there in...oh dear, two hours!" Larina's mother fretted over how they were to eat lunch and get Karina prepared in enough time to see the primas practice.

Nikolai only chuckled. "You're forgetting about fast food, Larina," he pointed out the restaurants such as McDonald's and Subway.

Larina wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I would never feed that garbage to my child," she insisted.

"Do you want to be late or have one unhealthy meal?" Yuri asked Larina, one of the few times he spoke up against her. To be perfectly honest, Larina scared Yuri, and that was a title only a few held.

Larina puffed in indignation. "Anything but McDonalds."

Karina clapped her mitten clad hands. "Hooray! The true American experience!" she took off to the next subway entrance, Yuri trailing behind her.

After a meal full of sugar and fat, according to Karina's mother, they found themselves on the steps of the New York City Ballet Company. It had taken Larina months to reserve this specific date for Karina to come observe and talk to the primas during their rehearsal time. The opportunity was only offered to the most serious ballerinas considering the program, and there was an extensive application process. Karina had no idea that her mother had lied about her age, saying that she was fifteen instead of seven to make sure that she got a slot. Traveling overseas was much too expensive for the family otherwise, and so Larina rationalized the trip since Yuri had a competition, and going to the Big Apple was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

She hadn't missed how much Yuri and Karina had connected, and she hoped that the pair would eventually become a couple. Yuri would doubtless succeed in ice skating, and if Karina was his girlfriend, she would get the attention that was necessary to propel her beautiful dancing to fame. Though it was a dire thinking process, Larina hoped that her daughter would one day understand that everything she did was to have her succeed.

Karina and Yuri burst through the doors of the ballet quickly, and bounced up to the front counter. "Hi, my name is Karina Lebedev, and I'm here to watch the primas!" Karina chirped excitedly.

Larina hurried over to the children, and tried to cover for Karina. "She's much older than she appears, I promise."

"Uh huh. She doesn't look a day over ten, ma'am. We're going to have to ask you to come another time, preferably when she knows what she wants." The receptionist turned back to her computer, and Larina sighed in defeat.

"You lied about my age?" Karina looked at her mother, eyes watering from her betrayal. "Why?"

"You were too young. You have to be at least fifteen to get an application." Larina ran a hand over her face in exasperation. Yuri's curled his fist in anger that his friend's mother would lie to her like this.

"Miss?" Karina tapped the desk to get the receptionist's attention. "I may not be fifteen, but I _do_ want to see the primas practicing. We came all the way from Russia, and I don't know if I'll ever be here again. Please, I won't even ask any questions! Watching them would be enough for me." Karina turned on the puppy dog eyes, which wasn't hard since her mother's lies had her almost crying anyway.

The receptionist blinked, surprised at the young girl's adamance. "Well, I can call up, but no promises."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Karina smiled up at her.

After a couple of minutes of explaining the situation to the director, the receptionist put the phone down. "You and your family can go to the stage, where they're currently practicing. It's down to the left, and the door is marked. You can't miss it."

Karina beamed up at the desk. "Thank you, miss!"

The receptionist just shook her head. "You have spunk, kid, I'll give you that. Have a good time."

"I will!" Karina tugged on her mother's arm to get her to move, since her mother was still in shock.

Yuri followed her as well, amazed at her enthusiasm. In that moment, he realized that she wanted to be a prima just as much as he wanted a gold medal. Her eyes glistened in tears of happiness the whole time she saw the ballerinas elegantly dance to _Swan Lake_ , and Yuri couldn't look away from her genuine love for dancing. Even the ballerinas picked up on it, and they allowed her to ask as many questions as she wanted, and even taught her one of their step sequences. Since she hadn't brought a pair of ballet slippers, one of the primas even allowed her to wear an old pair of hers, and told her to keep them as a souvenir from the States. She practically glowed the rest of the way back to Russia, all but forgetting her mother's misstep, though Yuri wouldn't let Larina go that easily.

Yuri rarely met anyone who was as set on their goal as he was, but Karina was an exception. She always had been-his first friend, his greatest confident, his greatest cheerleader (at least in terms of yelling, but Nikolai came close), and his greatest competitor in devotion to their sport. He couldn't let someone like that go, ever.

* * *

 **A/N: Happy birthday Victor! Chapter Two down! I just love writing from all these characters, and I really hate Larina. Also, a comment on the use of Russian/English. The way I imagined it is that they speak Russian to each other, though Karina and Yuri have some knowledge of English, since they were taught the language in Russia. Karina's isn't that great, so she asked Yuri for a couple of the words she didn't know, and that's why she went right up to the counter so she wouldn't forget the words. As for her little speech, she was able to remember and replicate a lot of the words from her mom and the receptionist's dialogue. Thank you all for reading, that means a lot, and if you would leave a review that would be extra nice :). I won't be able to update on Wednesday, so this is an apology chapter for that! However, after this Wednesday, you can expect a chapter on the 4th! Have a great holiday and a Happy New Year!**

 **Hugs and kisses,**

 **bibliophilebasics**


	3. Chapter 3: Ballerina on Ice

**Chapter Three: Ballerina on Ice**

 _Yuri: 10 Karina: 9_

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Yuri! On Ice or otherwise Season Two would be confirmed and Stephane Lambiel and Deniss Vasiljevs would be season regulars. However, I do own Karina Lebedeva and her family!**

* * *

Karina couldn't wait to get out of school. It's not that she hated school or learning, but learning prepositions paled in comparison to her first en pointe class that lasted for two whole hours...and happened to be right after school. She was anxious that she wouldn't fit in with the rest of the other girls-she was the youngest in the class by far, the closest girl to her age was twelve. However, Karina was more excited than anything to be in the class in the first place, and hoped that this would lead to more opportunities in the future.

At lunch later that day, she spotted Yuri and walked over to their specified table. The pair had slowly slipped into an unspoken schedule: they walked to the bus stop together since they lived on the same street (it was a small world), during lunch they would talk to each other, which mostly consisted of complaining about homework, teachers, students, or how their respective sports were. Later that day, after they had gotten home from ballet and ice skating, Yuri would show up at Karina's, or the other way around, and they would work through their homework together, and part ways around eight o'clock every night. It was certainly not the typical life of a nine and ten year old, but they found their company soothing and a reprieve from school and sports. After all, they had never been the typical children, and finding friends at school had never been either's forte-they just never had time.

"I can't believe that my Russian teacher wants us to write a four paragraph persuasive essay," Yuri grumbled, chewing his sandwich. "It isn't even an interesting topic-not that they would give us anything to work with."

Karina winced. She knew from experience that the fifth grade Russian teacher was notorious for assigning busywork. "Well, at least you have math next. That's always your best subject."

Yuri nodded in agreement, finishing off his sandwich. "That's true. And after school, I get to try my first triple!" Karina smiled, knowing that Yuri would be motivated to complete the triple out of spite from his Russian teacher. He had always loved a challenge, and a triple just happened to be his next quest.

"Looks like today's a big day for the both of us," Karina commented. "I have my first en pointe class today! It's two whole hours." A dreamy look passed over her face as she thought of spending two whole hours doing what she loved more than anything.

Yuri shook her arm, shaking her out of her stupor. "Why didn't you tell me? I would've congratulated you, you know. En pointe is incredibly hard."

Karina looked down at the wooden table guiltily. "I'm sorry, I just didn't figure out until a week ago, and Mother was running about trying to get me to strengthen my posture and buy pointe shoes. She heard some ridiculous rumour that the head of some prestigious ballet school is going to be there scouting...Lilia Baranovskaya was her name I believe. It completely slipped my mind."

Yuri leaned back in his chair. "Wow, that sounds intense." Karina didn't sense any hint of sarcasm, but she knew that Yuri wouldn't let her off that easy. Their friendship was built on trust, and she still felt guilty for not letting Yuri know immediately, like she normally would have.

"Yeah, it is." Karina stuffed some of her sandwich in her mouth to avoid talking to Yuri. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. She'd been considering asking Yuri for some time now, but had never summoned up her courage, because she wasn't sure how he'd react. Karina knew that now was the time if any. "Hey, Yuri...I was wondering if maybe after both of our practices, if I could maybe come over to the rink and skate? I've only done it once before, when I was really young, and I really want to learn. I mean, you learned how to dance ballet, so it's only fair if I learn some skating, right? Plus, who knows when it may come in handy?" Karina could feel herself rambling. She would never be nervous around Yuri, but the idea of skating scared her sometimes.

When she had skated when she was younger, she had fallen on her face about fifteen times since she was such a klutz off ground, and it had scarred her from any other attempts. But when she saw Yuri skate so gracefully on ice, she couldn't help but wish that she could do the same, and having a best friend who was a great ice skater happened to be pretty convenient. She wouldn't trust herself skating again with anyone but Yuri.

Yuri looked at her in surprise. "This isn't because you feel guilty, right?" He asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"No," Karina shook her head adamantly. "I really want to learn. I mean, what if I'm at a competition and you get hurt and I have to skate out to heroically save you? I can't do that if I fall flat on my face, right?"

"I can't believe you said that with a straight face," Yuri cracked a smile, letting Karina know that he had agreed to the plan.

"It's a legitimate fear. Those triples could really get you sometime," Karina deadpanned.

"Good thing I have you then. Meet me at six, my rink," Yuri confirmed to Karina just as the bell rang for them to return to class.

"Have fun with fractions!" Karina got in one last comment as Yuri stuck his tongue out at her before skipping off to her next class, grateful that she had gotten so lucky in the best friend department.

* * *

"Alright girls, let's get moving! You were suppose to be at the barre five minutes ago!" Ms. Godunov chided the girls who were still pulling their pointe shoes on. They rolled their eyes, pulling themselves up off the hardwood, but Karina had been at the barre breaking in her shoes for about ten minutes. She had been secretly practicing some of her barre warm ups en pointe since she had gotten a pair from the lost and found bin around a month and a half ago. She had been given a place in the en pointe class, but she had to finish up one last class before her teachers felt she was prepared.

Once all of the girls were positioned, Ms. Godunov turned to face the class. "Begin regular warmups with each position please." The girls began in first position as she continued to speak. "Now, you may have noticed that we have a new classmate. Karina, could you please come to the front?"

Karina, dreading being in front of the whole class, stepped forward to face the girls. "I'd like to do a couple of get to know you activities, since I don't believe you've met the rest of these girls, correct?"

Karina took a deep breath. "Well, I've met a couple of the girls before, but not all of them, ma'am."

"Okay, well, how about you tell the class something about yourself?" Ms. Godunov surveyed the girls to make sure that they were paying attention.

"Uh, well...I'm in fourth grade and I've...been to the States," Karina blurted out, not sure what to say.

"Interesting, thank you for sharing. Would anyone else like to share something about themselves with the class?" When no girl made any move to say anything, Ms. Godunov took it upon herself to explain who was who to Karina. She wished that she could sink into the ground or disappear.

Finally, she was done with the introductions, and Karina returned to her spot at the barre. Ms. Godunov decided that their warm ups were complete, and it was time to move onto more complicated moves.

"Class, today we have been presented with a unique special occasion," Ms. Godunov began, and half of the girls stopped dancing at all, knowing exactly what was to happen. "The prestigious Olympic and ballet company preparation school is currently scouting for this upcoming year, and they have chosen to survey this class!" Ms. Godunov could barely contain her excitement, but continued with her statement. "She should be coming any second now…" Coincidentally, the door to the studio opened, and Karina's jaw dropped. Her mother's suspicions were true, and it truly was Lilia Baranovskaya! She hadn't seen much of her work, but she had seen a video of her in the Bolshoi Ballet Company's production of Swan Lake, and she was stunningly elegant.

Ms. Godunov was at a loss for words as well, but managed to compose herself to introduce her to the class. "Girls, this is Lilia Baranovskaya, the ballet director of Mariinsky School for Olympic and Mariinsky Ballet Company Preparation."

"Yes, thank you for that introduction. Now, I would like to see them dance. Treat this as if it were an audition, girls, I will ask some of you to leave at any moment." Lilia looked around the room, and her eyes finally landed on Karina. "This is your first class, is it not? I was warned that one of you was new."

"It is Ms. Baranovskaya," Karina said nervously.

"Then I'll provide a little bit of leniency for you. After all, I'm sure anyone of you would work at all hours of the day and night to assure a space at Mariinsky. However, do not think that you'll get off easy, Karina." Karina nodded adamantly, understanding that this class may determine a significant portion of living her dream as a prima in a ballet company.

"Yes, ma'am," the girls looked at Lilia.

"Then we begin."

* * *

Karina was completely out of breath after thirty minutes of Lilia shouting orders to the girls and walking around the class, nitpicking at how the girls could be better. She had already cut four of the girls, and it was now down to Karina and two others. Karina was surprised that she had made it that far, but her practice in secret was paying off, since she was able to keep up with the other girls.

"Alright, that's all I need. Thank you girls, you are dismissed, unless your instructor would like to keep you any longer." Lilia looked over at Ms. Godunov, who still looked as if she may cry in awe.

"No, this has been quite an experience for all of us here. Thank you so much for coming Lilia." The pair began to discuss in quiet voices, sometimes glancing over at Karina and the other two girls who had made it to the final round of Lilia's audition.

After Karina was finished packing up her ballet materials, she was stopped by Ms. Godunov. "Karina, please come over here!"

What could it be this time? Hesitantly, Karina walked over to the dance teachers. Maybe Lilia had noticed another glaring mistake, but Ms. Godunov looked as though she were about to cry...again.

"Karina, I noticed that you have an incredible work ethic," Lilia looked at her intently, but Karina wasn't sure how to respond.

"Thank you, ma'am, I try my best."

"Karina, if that is your best on your first day of pointe, then I would like you to join us next year at Mariinsky Ballet." Karina's jaw dropped, and she was surprised it didn't hit the floor. She felt Lilia hand her an envelope and tell her that it would explain all of the details and that she would be in contact with her mother, but it was as if she was in a trance. This couldn't possibly be real, that she had just been accepted to her top school in the country.

"Thank you ma'am, I'm really looking forward to it," Karina said truthfully, and raced out of the building, excited to tell Yuri about the whole ordeal at the ice rink. Still, she couldn't help but have a small thought in her head that told her that she was only accepted because Lilia thought it was her first day en pointe. Maybe she wasn't good enough for the school… Karina pushed the thought out of her head until she could talk to Yuri about it.

* * *

Karina rushed into the ice rink, dropping her backpack and dance bag onto one of the benches before sprinting into the rink to see Yuri. "I'm here, I'm here!" Karina shouted to no one in particular. "I didn't mean to be so late!"

Bursting into the doors that led to the ice rink, she skidded to a stop as soon as she saw Yuri. He was still practicing, since he had earbuds in and couldn't hear her. Karina slowed to a stop, just in time for her to see him complete a triple. She almost let out a cheer, but restrained herself since she didn't want to scare Yuri out of his wits just yet.

Yuri continued to skate his routine since he had yet to notice Karina, and completed an elegant spin before spiraling into footwork. Karina remembered Yuri telling her that when skaters were younger, they focused more upon their footwork and spins, leaving jumps to perfect in their senior level. This was evident as Karina watched him complete the intensieve footwork effortlessly. She could only hope to one day be able to skate around the rink without falling flat on her face.

Karina was so entranced with Yuri's performance that she missed when it ended, and as soon as Yuri had finished, he saw Karina through his peripheral vision. Blushing, he skated over to her. "You saw all of that?" he asked, still breathing heavily.

Karina nodded. "It was stunning, Yuri! You looked amazing! I'm so sorry that I came late, it's a long story."

"Then let's get your skates, and you tell me what's going on," Yuri decided, stepping off the ice to place the skate guards on.

* * *

"So, I got accepted into Mariinsky!" Karina concluded, finishing lacing up her skates victoriously.

Yuri looked at her, stunned. "That's...that's incredible Karina!" he shouted, pulling her off her feet into a crushing hug. Karina felt her feet leaving the ground before Yuri quickly placed her back gently.

"Thanks, Yuri," Karina smiled at him, noting that he was blushing again, but chalked it up to the cold atmosphere of the ice rink. "But…"

"What? Is there a problem with going there?" Yuri looked at her, worried.

"Well, it's just...Lilia thought that it was my first day en pointe. But it wasn't. I've been secretly practicing with a pair of slippers that I found in the lost and found about a month and a half ago. I didn't do any complicated moves, just some of my warm ups...but what if Lilia only accepted me because she thought it _was_ my first day en pointe?" Karina could feel tears bubbling up in her self doubt.

Yuri was silent for a couple of minutes, not sure how to respond. He knew that Karina was out of this world talented at ballet, but how did he tell her? He wasn't a people person, and hated when people, especially girls, started crying in front of him. Searching for words to express how he felt, he finally spoke.

"Kit-Kat, you're the most talented ballet prima that I know. The fact that you were practicing en pointe a month and a half before your first class shows just how dedicated you are, you little rebel," Karina sniffed and smiled at that, and Yuri gained more confidence. "Besides, Lilia said she only gave you a little bit of leniency, and yet you still got in-out of skill. All you had practiced before was warm ups anyway, not what Lilia was testing you on. If anyone wants to say that you're not the best ballerina in your dance company will have to go through me." Yuri puffed his chest out in a desperate attempt to make himself look intimidating, and Karina lost it, laughing so hard that she had to bend over, holding her stomach.

"Hey, I'm intimidating! I could slice them with my skates!" Yuri tried to shout over Karina's laughter, and Karina's giggling slowly subsided.

"I'm sorry…it's just...you're not very intimidating," Karina stood up off the bench, and promptly almost fell from lack of balance on her skates. Luckily, Yuri caught her by her wrists, and pulled her so that they were nose to nose.

"And without me you could've broken your back," he reminded her, and Karina looked him directly back into his eyes.

"Let's skate then, Yurio," Karina let go of his hands, slowly but steadily walking over to the ice rink, gesturing for Yuri to follow her.

"Seriously, Karina? Yurio?"

* * *

"No, _Kit-Kat_ , you have to push off like this," Yuri demonstrated for Karina, and she attempted to mimic his movement, and finally didn't fall over! It had taken about fifteen tries before she had actually been able to skate around the rink without falling over. Now, Yuri was trying to teach her how to "properly" skate, since she apparently was using the wrong form. Karina knew that he was still bitter about her Yurio comment, since he now was purposefully only calling by her nickname. However, it didn't seem to affect how he was teaching her how to skate, thankfully.

"I did it!" Karina shouted, pumping her fist in the air, proud of the small accomplishment. She could see Yuri's smile before he tried to hide it.

"Finally," he muttered. "Now, try to skate around the rink like that."

As Karina followed his instructions, she couldn't help but poke a little bit of fun at him. "Yuri, please stop being so petty about me calling you Yurio. You know that I don't mean it to offend you."

"Of course I know that," Yuri told her, watching from a close distance in case Karina would accidently fall once again. "You and Grandpa are the only ones who can call me that without major repercussions."

Karina was speechless for a second, but when the thought registered with her, she began to skate even faster, if anything to give herself something to concentrate on. She knew that she was Yuri's only friend, as he was her's, but it was still surprising for Yuri to make a comment like that.

"Well, I didn't fall this time," she stated as she skidded to a stop in front of Yuri.

He smiled. "You're learning how to stop yourself too, I see."

"I did learn from the best," Karina tilted her head slightly to the side, giving a small smile back at Yuri.

Yuri nodded in agreement. "I agree, I don't know anyone else who could have assisted such a hopeless case like you learn to skate."

Karina batted him on the arm in minor annoyance. "You better be kidding."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Yuri began skating backwards, and Karina skated towards him, positive that she could at least get in a slap to the face before falling over her feet.

However, to Karina's surprise, as soon as she caught up to Yuri he grasped her by the wrists again and continued to skate backwards so that she was being pulled along by him across the ice.

"Every first lesson in ice skating requires the student to be skated around the ice by someone. Learning to go faster is much more motivating when you get a glimpse of how fast you _could_ go," Yuri explained to her, and continued to skate around the ice at lightning speed to Karina.

"Is that so? I've never heard that before," Karina commented, looking straight at Yuri since there wasn't really anywhere else to look.

Yuri rolled his eyes. "Obviously, you haven't ever been taught, now have you?"

"Until today," Karina reminded him.

"Exactly," Yuri smiled at her. He led her back to the place where they had begun skating. "That wasn't half bad for someone who'd never skated before."  
"False. I have skated before, I just fell all over the place."

"Didn't you mean today?" Yuri teased her, but his expression sobered a split second after he said the joke, showing Karina that he didn't really mean it.

"Funny. But, thanks, Yuri. It means a lot that you would teach me how to skate," Karina said sincerely. She then promptly skated off.

"What are you doing now?" Yuri shouted after her.

"Going as fast as I can!" she responded, desperately trying to reach the speed that she did when Yuri helped her.

"Wait for me, _Karina_!"

In that moment, Yuri Plisetsky fell in love with Karina Lebedeva without even knowing the true definition of love. Funny how the strangest of things fills a void in our hearts.

Stranger still was that Karina felt the exact same way.

Neither would say a word about it for another seven years.

Love is, and has always been where you least expect it.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in so long! Standardized testing is the absolute worse, but while the rest of this month is kind of crazy, I'll still try to update and after this month hopefully I'll be updating more! I hope that you guys liked this chapter, and if you did please leave a review or question!**

 **hugs and kisses,**

 **bibliophilebasics**


	4. Chapter 4: Metropolis

Disclaimer: I do not own Yuri! On Ice or Mariinsky Ballet Company. If I did, Stephane Lambiel and Deniss Vasiljevs would be season regulars. However, I do own Karina and her family since they're a figment of my imagination.

Chapter Four: Metropolis

Yuri: 12 Karina: 11

* * *

Karina had been sent off to Mariinsky at the age of ten, and while Yuri hadn't gotten to physically see her except during her holiday breaks and summer, they video chatted nearly everyday while they each did their homework. They only seemed to grow closer, realizing how important their friendship was to be able to break the bonds of convenient friendship.

The pair had been confused why Mariinsky hadn't been scouting for ice skaters last year, as Yuri was the best junior skater in Russia, so they would've come to see him skate at the very least. However, they were informed by Karina's mother that Mariinsky scouted every other year for ballerinas, and in the off year, they scouted for their hopeful Olympic participants.

That meant that a year ago his coach had notified him that a man named Yakov would be coming to survey him. Yuri wasn't nervous-he was the best in his level anyways. And he hadn't had any reason to be nervous, because after his practice with Yakov, he too was offered a place at Mariinsky, for preparation to be competing in the 2018 Olympics. As soon as his grandfather showed him the letter after he had gotten home from school, he video chatted Karina to tell her the good news and she screamed and jumped up and down, just as happy for him as he was for himself. They talked unceasingly about what campus life would be like together, and how much more time they would have for their respective sports.

At the beginning of the school year when he was twelve, his bus rolled up to the curb of Mariinsky, and he exited weighed down with suitcases full of skating gear and more clothes than he would care to admit. Karina was at the pickup spot, and when he saw her she jumped up and down, clapping her mitten clad hands together in excitement. He rolled his eyes, walking over to her.

"I forgot how embarrassing you can be," he muttered as Karina grabbed one of his rolling suitcases, pulling both him and the suitcase towards the direction of his dorm.

Karina stuck her tongue out at him. "You know you don't mind it that much."

On the way to his dorm, the pair caught up, talking about Yuri's grandfather and Karina's mother. Karina was relieved that her mother wasn't as controlling now that she was schooled away from home.

"Here we are," Karina stopped outside of a large, apartment-style building. She looked sheepishly down at his luggage. "Uh, I can't enter any of the boys' dorms, but I can stay out of here with your bags if you can't take them up all at once."

"What would all my conditioning be for if I couldn't carry all of my luggage?" Yuri flashed her a reassuring smile, attempting to pull all the bags to the entrance of the dorms, praying that there was an elevator.

"Wait, Yuri!" Karina called after him. He turned around, wondering what she could possibly say to make the situation even more awkward.

"I was wondering if, after you get settled in, you might want to go around the city, look at the touristy bits? Consider it my treat for you being accepted." She smiled tentatively at him, hoping that he would accept her offer, though she had no reason to doubt that he would.

Yuri nodded. "Give me a couple minutes, and I'll be right down!"

Karina beamed back at him. "I'll be here."

* * *

Yuri finally dragged his bags up to his room, and as soon as he got them on his side of the room he fell onto his bed in exhaustion. He wondered why he didn't ask for Karina's help with his heavy suitcases, but every conceivable answer was inconceivable-he had a good laugh at the thought the back of his head that told him he did it to impress her with his manly strength.

Then, he remembered that he had abandoned Karina in the courtyard below him, and immediately began to think up excuses for why it took him so long as he pulled on a heavy coat. Deciding on the lie that he had to go to the bathroom, he rushed down the steps, not bothering with the elevator, and burst out the doors in record time for him.

"Ready," he inhaled as he approached Karina.

"About time," she commented, before beginning to walk to the nearest bus stop, Yuri trailing after her.

"Sorry, I had to go to the...bathroom." As soon as the words left his mouth, Yuri felt stupid, but he couldn't go back on it now.

Karina's face didn't portray her, but internally she was trying not to laugh. "Oh, well, thanks for sharing."

Yuri's face burned bright red as their bus pulled up to the curb. He cleared his throat. "Ladies first," he motioned to the open door of the bus.

"What a gentleman. Too bad you weren't like this at home," Karina grinned as she got onto the bus, Yuri closely following her, refuting her point angrily.

* * *

They bounced off the bus (well, Karina did at least) to see her first must-see destination in St. Petersburg. "Look at how beautiful it is!" she said as they walked up to the cathedral. "I mean, this architecture is just stunning!"

If it was anyone else, Yuri would've rolled his eyes, disinterested in something as trivial as _architecture_. But seeing Karina's face light up over _something as trivial_ as a cathedral was...cute? _As if,_ he scoffed to himself, catching up to Karina, who had already accepted a tourist guide, promptly handing it to Yuri.

"We're here," she pointed to the entrance on the map. "And there's a lot to see in here, so let's get going!" Gently tugging his arm, he allowed her to drag him through the cathedral, feigning interest in the statutes, colored spirals, and stained glass windows.

When they got out of the building, Karina brought him over a couple of blocks to the next large building, this one even more spectacular than the first, and repeated the process once again. Yuri, sighed, realizing that it would be a long day of architecture and showcases.

* * *

They continued this pattern throughout the day as Yuri expected, stopping only to eat and shop for clothing (Yuri's idea). As much as he hated to admit it, Yuri was beginning to enjoy looking at buildings, something he never thought he would think. He began to see the beauty that Karina saw in them, the effort and labor that was put into making them stand up, not even accounting for the cosmetics of it-what color they would paint it, how the spirals would look like the Hershey's Kisses he and Karina had had years ago.

Meanwhile, Karina would spout out every fun fact and detail that she could remember, running about to show Yuri all the displays she possibly could to 'enhance the experience'. Yuri had learned that there was a time when he needed to smile and nod, and this was one of those times.

At dinner, however, Yuri decided that he would do something for her. He had noticed her eyeing up horse-drawn carriages that were outside of Mariinsky. She knew that he would never enjoy one, and had refrained herself from taking one before. A plan itched at the back of his mind.

However, before Yuri could even begin to act upon his plan, Karina set down her fork. "Yuri, there's something wrong. Are you not enjoying the food? Of course not, you hate anything from a fast food place," Karina cursed herself for picking a food spot that Yuri would hate.

"No, no!" Yuri insisted, even though her statement was slightly true. "There's just a lot of pressure being here, you know? I have to do well in school for a backup plan, and I don't even have time for a backup plan. I have to win every competition, I'm the sole provider for my family. Every penny I earn from competitions goes straight to them to make sure that they can eat and pay Grandpa's medical bills. What if something happens to him, and we don't...we don't have the money?" Yuri broke down to Karina, letting all of his stress and anxiety about coming to Mariinsky out on her, which was unfair.

"Yuri, oh my god, that's terrible! No twelve year old should have that amount of responsibility and stress!" Karina said after a few moments of stunned silence. "You know that me and my family will always be there for you, right? If you're having a tough time, I'll always help you. What are best friends for, after all, if they don't help pay for medical bills at one point?" She tried to make the conversation light for Yuri's sake. It was rare that he was actually worried about something, or if he was, he never let it show, even to Karina.

Yuri smiled at Karina. Only she could make him feel reassured after that mental breakdown. "I'm almost thirteen, for your information. Besides, we never were going to be regular kids anyways. What would the regular world have to give us when we have the opportunities of a lifetime right here?"

Karina sighed. "You're right, but it doesn't make it right to place that amount of stress on you. Surely your parents know that."

Yuri's eyes darkened as his face turned into a scowl. "Yeah, well, my parents didn't really feel the need to talk to me about anything, much less get a job."

Karina's face softened. "You're right, I'm an idiot, I shouldn't have brought up your parents."

"No, it's fine. I'm lucky enough to have a father figure in Grandpa, and you and your mom. I'll take you guys over my parents any day."

It was Karina's turn to beam at him, and they moved to different topics of conversation-like how lucky he was that he missed out on having Karina's terrible maths teacher this year. His master plan resurfaced in his head as they finished their dinner.

"Karina, is it alright if we head back early? I've had such a great time, but I'm kind of tired, and I need to get unpacked." He made the best apology face he could, though he doubted that it was any good-he wasn't accustomed to apologizing for much of anything.

Karina attempted to not look crestfallen, keeping a sympathetic look on her face. "Of course, Yuri, I understand how stressful the first few days can be."

"You're the best Karina," Yuri smiled at her as they boarded the bus directly back to Mariinsky.

* * *

As soon as they arrived back at Mariinsky, Yuri got outside of the bus as quickly as he could, pulling Karina by the wrist. She looked surprised by his sudden need to get back to the dorms, but went along with it.

"Yuri, where exactly are you taking me-" Karina asked as she realized that they weren't heading back to the dorms. He quickly shushed her, with a finger to her lips, letting her know that he was not lost.

Shaking her head in exasperation, she followed him to the entrance of the Ballet, noticing that the beautiful horse-drawn carriages were still parked outside.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Yuri said to one of the friendly-looking women carriage drivers. "I would like to have a ride for two."

"Of course," the driver, said. "I do enjoy fostering young love."

Yuri and Karina's jaws dropped in surprise. "We're not-" Yuri began.

"You must be mistaken-" Karina said at the same time.

They looked at each other, and burst out laughing. When they finally regained their composure, Karina spoke. "What we mean, ma'am, is that we're only best friends. Besides, we're only eleven and twelve."

The carriage driver just chuckled. "I suppose that you are a bit young for that."

"What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?" Yuri muttered to himself as he helped Karina in to the carriage.

As soon as he got into the carriage, Karina gave him an awkward hug, as any hug in a carriage is bound to be awkward-simply no space to properly stand. "Thank you, Yuri, for doing this for me, I know you hate horses."

It was true, Yuri did have an insatiable fear of them. He was never really sure why, but he avoided them at all costs.

"Consider it my gift for giving me such a great first day here," Yuri smiled at her. "And sorry about that carriage driver."

Karina laughed. "It was all in good nature, I'm sure."

They sat back into the velvet padded seats as the carriage began moving, and looked out the windows, anticipating seeing the city lit up at night.

"It's beautiful," Karina breathed as soon as the first building appeared. Throughout the whole tour, she never took her eyes off the building that was outside the window. And, as hard as Yuri tried, the best sight-seeing was in the carriage in front of him.

* * *

As the carriage came back to a stop at the entrance to the Ballet once more, they disembarked quickly, not wishing to talk to the carriage driver again.

They soon approached the dorms, giggling as Karina led Yuri back to the building where the boys' dorms were, since Yuri didn't remember.

Stopping outside of the dorms, only a few lights illuminated their faces. "Thank you, Yuri, for being the bestest friend and taking me on a carriage ride," she smiled at him.

"And thank you for being the _bestest_ friend and taking me around the city," Yuri replied, and Karina looked secretly pleased with herself.

"You want to know a secret, though?" Yuri asked her. Karina looked up expectantly. "I hate architecture." The pair burst out laughing.

"Then...why…did you...let me...drag you...around all of St. Petersburg…showing you architecture?" Karina asked through her laughter.

"It mattered to you," Yuri replied matter of factly. "I like seeing what you like too, you know."

Karina looked up at him, a shocked expression on her face. "Really?"

"Of course, you ice skated for me, why wouldn't I like to see architecture that you like?" Yuri asked her.

"Right, of course," Karina adjusted her coat buttons. "Well, I'd better be back to my dorms, it's rather late, isn't it?"

"Right," Yuri said somewhat suspiciously. Why wasn't she reacting better? She gave him a small wave before walking off into the distance, unaware to Yuri, who was lost in his own thoughts.

"See you tomorrow!" he said, but Karina had already melted into the shadows.

* * *

Yay, Chapter Four! After this week, things will definitely die down a little bit so I have more time to write! This is definitely a filler chapter, which is why it's shorter, as is the next chapter because I really want to build their relationship and have their decisions seem logical with the backstory that they have. Anyways, I really hoped you and enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, make sure to leave a comment or question!

hugs and kisses,

bibliophilebasics


	5. Chapter 5: Average Christmas

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yuri! On Ice or Hershey's Chocolate Kit-Kats. If I did, Stephane Lambiel and Deniss Vasiljevs would be season regulars. However, I do own Karina and her family, and the plotline, so please don't try and steal that! :)**

* * *

Chapter Five: Average Christmas

Yuri: 14 Karina: 13

* * *

"Yuri, you can't not get anything for your parents! Just because they're neglectful and selfish doesn't change the fact that you're still their son!" Karina insisted as she looked over Yuri's "to-buy" Christmas list. The librarian gave her a look that could kill, and Karina quickly ducked under the desk they were currently sitting at to avoid confrontation of the notoriously evil library. Yuri had quickly blacked out her name on the list, but he had a suspicion that she knew what she was getting.

"Well, I'm sorry that they're jack-" Yuri cut off as Karina gave him a warning look. She wasn't a fan of him cursing, especially in front of her, and while he thought it was sometimes annoying, he complied-most of the time, at least.

"Yuri, that's no way to talk about your parents!"

"Yeah, well your mom is the same way!" Normally, anybody would've taken offense and stormed out, but both of them knew that the statement was true. There was no point in denying it, and facts weren't worth fighting over. "I'm sorry," Yuri muttered, knowing that he had overstepped a boundary, regardless of how open they were with each other.

"No, you're right, but it only further proves my point of the fact that I'm buying her a gift." Karina pointed out, but Yuri only stuck two books on either side of his ears in an attempt to block her out.

"Ugh, stop using logic. It gets boring," was Yuri's only comeback.

Before Karina could come up with a better retort, the bell rang to signal their next class. "Off to science then. Ugh."

Yuri nodded in agreement. "Ugh is right, my science class is no better."

Karina glared at him. "Well thanks for giving me hope for next year."

"Hopes and dreams for something as boring as science is overrated."

Karina sighed. "You really need some help in the optimist field. Uh, here's my stop."

Yuri rolled his eyes at her, not willing to admit that she was probably right. "Have fun in your _interesting_ science class!"

* * *

Thankfully, their classes seem to pass by faster than they previously had, because now they got to do what they really wanted after school-ballet and ice skating. It was interesting how they each lived such separate lives, yet theirs were so intertwined. Even though they couldn't spend as much time with each other as they may have liked, they made do, and it was certainly better then when Yuri had still been in Moscow.

"Yurrriiiioooo," Karina dragged out his name as she ran into the skating rink after her ballet class. It had become rather normal for them to skate together for about an hour after her ballet classes as a way to procrastinate homework, and destress from the day. She began to lace up her skates, a skill that she had only recently mastered.

Yuri stuck his head out from the Plexiglass that surrounded the rink. "Yes, Kit-Kat?" He shook his hair out of his eyes, as it had grown longer in the absence of his grandfather taking him to monthly appointments.

Karina looked up. "Well, are we skating or not?"

Yuri extended his hand, hoisting Karina up from her seat. "Duh, it's Friday, not the apocalypse."

"Well, I didn't know if you needed to go Christmas shopping for your parents," Karina gently reminded him.

"Why don't we go after this, then, if you're so keen to spend money on pointless gifts that won't be acknowledged," Yuri grumbled.

"Yuri, you know that's not what I meant. Besides, your parents mean more to you then that. At least they're still together." Karina looked down at her skates as she inched along the rink.

Yuri pushed his hair back with his hand. "You're right, Karina, I misspoke. It's just so hard sometimes, the way that they've treated me and grandfather." He balled his fists, and skated off in record time, angry at himself and his parents.

Karina fought to catch up to him. "Yuri, wait up! You can't just skate away from your problems!"

Yuri skidded to a stop, but Karina was still in full speed, and charged head-in to his chest, both of them tumbling face-first onto the ice.

"I didn't mean to stop like that," Karina rolled her eyes, trying her hardest not to blush (and ultimately failing) as she tentatively stood up so as not to fall on her face once again, offering Yuri a hand.

"Well how would you stop, then, skater extraordinaire Karina?" Yuri asked, attempting not to blush as well, taking her hand not because he needed to, but because he thought it was a kind gesture of friendship and it would be rude to bat her hand away.

Karina scowled at him. "You know what I mean." The rest of the hour that they skated was awkward, and every time they would run into each other, they immediately apologized profusely, skating off as fast as they could in opposite directions.

As they laced up their regular shoes, Karina spouted off potential stores that the could potentially shop in at the market square.

"How about eating first? It's six o'clock, and lunch was at twelve," Yuri suggested, and Karina only then realized just how hungry she was as her stomach growled in agreement. The pair laughed, some of the awkwardness dispelled. "Dinner it is!"

After a particularly good meal, they walked through the square filled with shops and small coffee shops hoping for a romcom to happen, and people milling through, flitting from shop to shop as they too bought gifts for their loved ones. It wasn't terribly overcrowded, a benefit of living in St. Petersburg rather than Moscow, so Karina and Yuri didn't feel as though they were sardines in a can.

"What about this store?" Karina asked, pointing out a hidden away small antique store, and they filed in, surprised to see that the shop was mostly empty.

"I'm not exactly sure what I should be looking for. What exactly do you get parents who abandoned you anyway?" Yuri pondered, looking around the little antique trinkets in the store. It wasn't that they weren't interesting, but how was he supposed to pick one he thought his parents would like when he didn't properly know them?

After about thirty minutes looking around the store, Karina approached him. "Maybe they would like this?" Karina placed a small ornament in his hands, blue and painted with swirling patterns that almost looked like the impressions that skates made on ice. It was perfect: sentimental enough for an estranged child's gift to their parents, but not overdone so as to seem that Yuri wanted to jump into their arms.

Yuri stared at the bauble for a few seconds before snapping his head back up to look at Karina, wrapping his fingers around the ornament. "This is perfect," he said quietly, as close to a thank you that he normally got, even with Karina.

Karina beamed, acknowledging the implications of his comment. She ushered him to the checkout lane. "Well, go buy it then!"

* * *

It seemed as if Christmas Day came sooner than it had in previous years. Perhaps it was the change of scenery, Yuri thought, or maybe it was because he was actually looking forward to gifting his presents to the few people he bought them for.

Karina and Yuri had worked out a schedule for the day, since they weren't allowed into each others dorm buildings, much less each others rooms to exchange gifts in. Instead, there was a common building where both genders could meet up, complete with a Christmas tree decorated from head to foot with lights and ornaments, some that the students from art class had made. They were supposed to go there after breakfast and open each others' presents to each other together.

Yuri got ready quickly, checking the time one last time to make sure that he wasn't too early. Running down to the breakfast center, he spotted Karina easily in her ugly Christmas sweater, sticking out like a sore thumb.

"You really went all out today, huh?" he asked her as they piled up various delicacies such as gingerbread cookies on their plates that weren't offered anytime except around Christmas.

"Obviously, it's Christmas. It only happens once every year, it's worth the special outfit." Karina justified, pointing to her sweater emblazoned with snowmen, sleds, and children playing about in the snow as they sat down at their regular table.

Yuri's only response was to roll his eyes in exasperation at his peculiar friend. The pair ate their food as fast as they could, excited to open each other's gifts that they picked out with care.

It felt like an eternity to Yuri before they were finally seated underneath the Christmas tree, swapping their clumsily wrapped yet heartfelt presents.

"You go first," Karina ordered, and Yuri first opened the present he was expecting-a poster from the band 'The O's'. There was 'Yurio' the band's most famous member, dressed in the band's peculiar attire, holding his guitar in a position that Yuri felt that a baseball bat would be better suited for, not an expensive instrument. Karina had, without fail, gifted him one of these posters every year since dubbing him with the nickname, each one becoming more and more extreme. He had always pretended to hate them, and there was a semblance of truth underneath his maliciousness, but without fail, he would hang the poster up on his wall at home. Now, every time he entered his room in Moscow, there were six posters scowling at him. Perhaps it was time to start his St. Petersburg collection.

After their little annual scat about how Yuri's name was not Yurio, Karina ended the conversation. "Open the other one!" Yuri looked at her suspiciously, suspecting that it was another poster of the whole band, but was pleasantly surprised when he opened up the box. He held up the shirt so he could see what the picture was. "It's a cat!" he said in surprise. Yuri had always felt as though he identified with cats, but he had never really expressed this to Karina, so he had no reason to believe she would get him anything cat-related.

"A tiger to be precise," Karina corrected him kindly, beaming with glee that Yuri liked the present that she had picked out.

"...Thank you Karina," Yuri said awkwardly, not knowing exactly how to thank her. He thrust his packaged gift to her. "Now open yours."

Karina also opened the gift that she was expecting first. It was a large bar of Hershey's Kit-Kats. Yuri, had, without fail, bought her some for Christmas (and her birthday, for that matter), ever since their trip to the States. She had joked that it was only because he loved the candy as well, but she didn't mind sharing some with him.

The next package was what confused her. It was in a small box, and as soon as she opened it, she gasped in surprise. Inside the box was a small necklace with a silver pointe shoe charm. On the back of the pointe shoe her name was engraved, _Karina_. "Yuri, this is beautiful!" she immediately fastened it around her neck, beaming at him. Yuri couldn't help but smile back at her, her smile was contagious.

"I'm glad you like it."

"I actually don't like it." Yuri's eyes flitted from the charm on the necklace to her face, in a look of shock and betrayal. "I love it, Yuri, don't psyche yourself out!" Karina joked, and Yuri joined in, relieved that she wasn't faking her enthusiasm.

"That's...not...funny!" he managed through his heaves of laughter.

"But seriously, Yuri, that was such a thoughtful gift. Mine pales in comparison." Karina said earnestly.

Yuri frowned. "No, it doesn't. I never told you how much I love cats, specifically tigers, but yet you gave me a shirt with a tiger on it. I have no idea how you were able to figure that out."

"That's what friends are for," Karina smiled, scooting closer to Yuri so as to lean her head against his shoulder as they looked at the tree lit up with lights and ornaments.

"I wonder what your mother and my grandfather are doing right now," Yuri mused, leaning his head on top of Karina's.

"Probably worrying about our grades or something," Karina sighed. "I can see it now- 'that Karina is going to be the reason for my death if she doesn't perfect those plies,'" Karina mocked her mother perfectly.

Yuri burst out laughing at her spot-on impression. "And grandfather will try to calm her down 'Larina, the children will be fine. They are perfectly capable of handling themselves'", Yuri's impression was perfect as well, sending the pair into fits of giggles.

They weren't wrong when it came to their prediction for their families' Christmas. Karina's mother was fretting over some miniscule grade Karina had received, and Nikolai was the voice of reason, assuring her that the children were responsible and knew what standards they were held to at Mariinsky.

Through all of their worries and tribulations, Yuri and Karina sat under the Christmas tree in the common room, their greatest gift simply each other's presence.

"Merry Christmas, Yuri."

"Merry Christmas, Karina."

* * *

 **A/N: Oh my gosh guys, I am so sorry about the late update! Finals are...difficult to say the least, but hopefully now that they're over I can focus more on writing (yay!). This was another filler chapter, but I tried to make it as interesting as possible! In these next few upcoming chapters, the plot will really start to pick up, but I really enjoyed writing Karina and Yuri's characters when they were younger! As always, if you liked the chapter, be sure to favorite/follow/comment! As for these upcoming months, I think that in February and March I'll only be updating every other week so that I can write a few extra chapters in preparation for finals week, as well as just researching Russia, ballet, and ice skating overall so that the content is better, you know? But yeah, I think that's what the plan is for these next few months!**

 **hugs and kisses,**

 **bibliophilebasics**


End file.
